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Super Moderator

The Rose and Crown was one of the city's most curious derelict buildings... Huge, lavish and very well sealed! Sat on the fringes of the gay quarter, it's damaged leaded windows and hanging flora made it a frequent check point, although for years it was in vein. Recent demolition presented a window of opportunity and Clebby and I had a pop on a drizzly evening.

The building was built as a pub and hotel by Mitchells and Butlers at the turn of the 20th C. It closed in the 70's and became the headquarters of the national union of boilermakers. Despite this change of use the interior remained largely intact from the wrath of modernisation. What it could not survive was the elements. I have never known such a robust building be such a death trap! Foot thick joists rotted in half, hardwood floors nothing more than mush. I have to say as we climbed higher I became more and more concious of the condition of the floors and as a result didn't get many photos of the surviving fittings.

It would seem the gang of pub interior thief's which targeted derelict Victorian boozers in Birmingham have also had a go at the place, with balustrade, banisters and most of the beautiful Minton tiling was either missing or broken in the attempt at theft. The huge leaded windows, typical of a Birmingham pub of the period however remained largely intact.

Super Moderator

In the 90's a gang were stripping whole interiors... bars, fireplaces, snob screens, tiles etc etc. One bar was traced to a German businessman's holiday home, sold for 10k! I don't think it was ever returned to Brum though...